The Windows 8 launch event was packed with a number of goodies, including the Lenovo ThinkPad Twist hybrid running on Microsoft's latest operating system.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Twist is a Windows 8 notebook sporting a 12.5-inch touch screen display that transforms into a tablet. The hybrid's form factor allows users to easily switch from notebook to tablet mode simply by rotating the screen 180 degrees and folding it down under the keyboard.
While this sort of design is nothing surprisingly new, the Lenovo ThinkPad Twist is one of the first convertible devices to ship with Windows 8, the software giant's brand new touch-friendly operating system.
Meant for business users, the ThinkPad Twist is part of Lenovo's ThinkPad series with the distinctive trackpoint and popular keyboard. Lenovo touts the 12.5-inch hybrid as a full-performance Ultrabook.
The ThinkPad Twist comes with an Ultrabook-grade Intel Core i5 or i7 Ivy Bridge processors, but instead of an SSD it packs a standard 500GB HDD. The device has 4GB of RAM, and sports a 1366 x 768 pixel IPS display coated in Gorilla Glass protection for extra scratch resistance. According to Lenovo, the Twist also comes with proprietary enterprise-grade software tools.
The new Windows 8 convertible from Lenovo measures 12.3 x 9.3 x 0.8 inches and weighs 3.5 pounds. Other features include Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, two USB 3.0 ports around the sides, Ethernet, mini HDMI and DisplayPort jacks, as well as a flash card reader. In terms of battery performance, Lenovo claims an overall battery life of up to seven hours.
As a ThinkPad tablet, the Twist features both a touchpad beneath the keyboard and a pointing stick in the center for users who prefer the ThinkPad TrackPoint system. On the other hand, the ThinkPad Twist does not feature an active digitizer or digital pen like its more expensive siblings.
Microsoft's latest Windows 8 operating system has brought a slew of new machines loaded with the software, promising an innovative experience. The Lenovo ThinkPad Twist aims to do just that, i.e. offer users a powerful Windows 8 experience on a less-than-conventional device, which can serve both as an Ultrabook and as a tablet.
